Houseboats available for just Â£40,000

It has been revealed by British Waterways that it needs to produce 11,000 new berths for canal boats in the next 10 years to keep up with demand â€“ this figure has doubled since 2001. Available houseboats are few and far between and often have long waiting lists. The amount of people buying boats has risen gradually for many years.

The average house price today is Â£200,000 which is why many are considering this option.

Approximately 15,000 people live on boats in Britain. It is seen as a â€œback to natureâ€ lifestyle for many who are prepared to give up many luxuries and home comforts. Narrowboats are available for just Â£20,000 but this can bring mundane tasks such as refilling onboard water tanks and pumping out the chemical toilet. On the positive side, many moorings are now supplying boats with electricity, cable TV, telephone and broadband internet connections. Medium sized boats with electricity and plumbing cost between Â£30,000-Â£50,000.

However, the cost of mooring a boat is increasing. It can cost as little as Â£500 in the countryside but moorings in the city can be as high as several thousand pounds. Many canal boats do come with residential moorings. A residential mooring, once attained, comes with a postal address and a council tax bill from the local authority and the positive is that all canal boats are band A.